Diary of a busyish woman

Listening to the rain belting the window early this morning, I decided that I was not getting up at 5.30am to make a delivery to S.V. Clonakilty , but would wait at least for daylight. I had that choice which so many don't. Even when I did get up, it was still raining. So since 7am, I've made a rather interesting Lebanese style omelette but included our black pudding . It tasted stunning hot & I'm now waiting for a comment from William and our employee, who have been working since 6am & they have the choice to eat it hot or cold. I've also made that delivery and just now finished at 11am with a meeting with our F.S.A.I . Vet. We meet with the F.S.A.I. on a monthly basis to review our business premises; products etc. This has become a very proactive meeting with an exchange of views. We are determined that our quality is to the very best standards we can achieve and beyond. If we keep the little things right, the big things are easier to achieve. Another busy

I've had a wonderful day. No, I really do meant it. Starting this morning with a couple of hours of office work, I then headed for Cork to speak with 1st Year Culinary Students in C.I.T . My journey would not have been complete without a delivery along the way and this time it was to the Kingsley Hotel . Late already, I arrived at C.I.T. where I was introduced to 5 First Year Students who were to be my 'helpers' for the day. They were superb. As I wasn't wearing 'whites', it was very much a case of making a suggestion and encouraging the students who were each responsible for a dish with Chef Lisa co-ordinating and supervising everything. All I had to do was enjoy a superb lunch before going to the lecture demo theatre where there were 80 or so students of all ages waiting to hear me speak (how boring would that have been without actually tasting anything). So what did we cook: Dubliner Cheese Puffs; Lough Hyne Cheesecake; Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies; Bla

It may be a Bank Holiday in Ireland, but we haven't taken any notice of that for years. Just like many a farmer, small producer or retailer, the work is there to be done so that's what we do. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling the best last night & headed for bed early. One of our machines has to be switched on the night before we use it and usually that's my job; as I wasn't available, I assumed one of my menfolk would have remembered! So having begun work at 7am, I'm still in the unit at 7.30pm. Tomorrow is my main delivery day, so it's an early start again. No doubt the roads will be pretty quiet especially as primary & secondary schools are closed for half-term. I'd love to have been able to go to some of the Cork Jazz Festival & I'm very jealous of Evin O'Keeffe having read her report on the Civic Harvest & Jazz Eucharist from the iconic St. Ann's Shandon yesterday. A ticket only affair, & I'm sure after this, ther

I've held out for as long as I could because I just hate all that layering up that signifies winter has returned. So today I'll spend a half hour pulling out the winter clothes & checking what actually fits! To put it bluntly, I'm not a physically active person, unlike our sons, & hitting 50 a few years ago, I became aware that I couldn't withstand the earthly pull as various bit & pieces of my person began heading south! It seems as though from season to season, my overall size isn't changing but the way it's all put together definitely is. Now I have two choices, rant & rave or accept & enjoy it as an excuse to begin looking for a few new things to add to the wardrobe. I tend to choose the latter as the former only expends unnecessary energy. If anyone has any ideas on what headgear a 50+ woman with long grey hair & a larger than average size head should get, I'm all ears. If you think I'm joking, I'm not, because when I tr

This is what happens when one is rather busy, there's no time to just sit and write. Yesterday was one of those days. The lads started butchering at 6am & were joined by a consultant at 9am, who was there to give them some hints & tips. Then the accountants arrived; Fiona McLachlan called in from Cape Clear as she wanted to meet Willie; and then another man arrived to meet Willie. During all this, I was supposed to make dinner catering for all of them, but in the end we only had one extra! Took me right back to when I was a child at home as Mum always made sure there was enough for everyone and a little extra in case someone called! I couldn't count how many times that happened. When Willie & I first began 'going out', my hand was in plaster with suspected Repetitive Strain Injury, which turned out to be arthritis, but anyway I had cooked Mum's Birthday dinner for a number of years but couldn't with just one hand. Willie offered to cook instead. The

Bob Geldof & the Boomtown Rats sang the song 'I hate Mondays'. Today is one of those days. Starting work in the dark is something I hate but have to get used to; then add in wind & rain & it's coldly damp. Yeugh. A busy day in terms of work & not having written over the weekend, this is the first chance I've had to write anything. Before bed, there is the small matter of ensuring the torch is fully charged. Another thing to carry around! Hopefully I can sit & write tomorrow & catch up on my recipes.

As usual the weekend was a busy one especially on Saturday. On Friday, I was planning to go to at least one of the activities in relation to the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Weekend in the Celtic Ross Hotel in aid of Action Breast Cancer . Instead I found myself going to Cork to collect a van which had been in for service & then on to Castle Café with an unexpected delivery. Home (within the speed limit) & load to drive to Drinagh Superstore, Skibbereen, which was celebrating the 21st birthday. Returning home, I had less than half an hour to unload the van, quick change personally and it was a return visit to the Celtic Ross to enjoy a wonderful dinner alongwith almost 200 other ladies. I didn't quite dance the night away, but I found myself up beyond the witching hour of midnight! This event is now in its 7th year & this weekend alone has raised over €12000 hours. It's an amazing feat for any hotel & especially a family owned West Cork Hotel. Many of the ladies

It's true. Employees go home when they've completed their working day. The bosses stay until the job's finished - well, we do. Willie & I could be called 'control freaks'. For example, we made Rosscarbery Black and White Pudding today. Willie started at some ungodly hour, while I appeared at a respectable 5am. Both boys have been here all day also. Now it's 20:23 & I'm going home. To say that I'm tired is to be very kind, but there's also the unquestionable satisfaction of a job well done. Another busy day tomorrow, but so what. It's what we do. Until later Avril

Yesterday, it was thunder, lightning & torrential rain. Today, it's clear blue skies & cool. We really do enjoy all sorts of weather in Ireland but generally none of the extremes endured elsewhere. So all my shorts & 3-quarter length trousers (I never have the right term for them) are packed away for another year & it's a case of seeing what fits from the winter wardrobe. Last January I invested in a pair of fur-lined boots from Timberland in Cork. So far, so good, they're enduring really well and don't look too bad under a dress either. I have a few winter coats depending on the weather & I managed to get them all dry cleaned earlier in the year. This is an expensive chore, but I've found it pays in the long run & I literally did one per month. This is also a good time to do a bit of a springclean & get rid of all those clothes I'll never again wear even though I'm a bit sentimental about some of them. Until tomorrow as the off

No diary entry yesterday. No time. Having travelled to Tralee on Friday, I was on the road again by 7.30am yesterday to drive to Dingle . This is a beautiful road, but one of my landmarks is a herd of Belted Galloway cattle. The first time that I drove this road on my own & it must be 5 years ago now, I saw them. They were so unusual & indeed still are, that they become one of my milestones along the road. Fewer of them this year I think but in a landscape containing white woolly sheet & black, red, cream or beige cattle, they're a lovely contrast. Dingle Food Festival was as always an amazing place to be at 8-8.30am when the streets are so quiet apart from cars & vans manoeuvring & absolutely dozens of people setting up stalls to entice all-comers. I saw it all at this stage but never returned to so many of the stalls. Then there was the Taste Trail with each venue having different offerings and you just never knew who you might meet. I'll write in grea

Until I get in my van & head to visit good friends in Fenit & stay over in Tralee before heading to Dingle Food Festival tomorrow for the Irish Food Awards , I'm going to be playing catch up in a big way! They joy of being lazy in bed. Friends getting married & the reception is in Inchydoney Lodge tomorrow so I must drop off part of their wedding present; collect & lodge cheques in Clonakilty ; and then I'm told my van needs an oil change before I go anywhere! So I think I'll update my recipe & activity blog as I'm at it: http://rosscarberyrecipes.blogspot.ie .  Roll on Kerry! Until tomorrow.

It really doesn't take much - a few late nights and early mornings and all of a sudden, I haven't posted for almost a week. The Rosscarbery Autumn School went extremely well last weekend. I'm just going to mention three things: a picture of a letter written by the Benedictine Abbot of St. Mary's, Rosscarbery , to the Abbot of Wurzburg dated 11th October, 1456; an exploration of the option of farmers growing grass for conversion to gas as an energy efficient solution; and a list of the extensive diet enjoyed by Irish people in South West Ireland prior to the advent of the potato! These and many more related subjects were explored in a fascinating weekend which left me exhausted! Last night I received a tweet from Ballymaloe Cookery School and their new Supplier page. Until tomorrow, or it could even be tonight! Avril